2009 USDGC

[Dan Michler]

So Dana, you shot 71 twice in qualifying and then caddied for 2 dudes today who both shot 71 (Peckham and AO)?  If I need a 71 out there, I know who to talk to.

[Bruce Brakel]

He also ran an awesome tournament this summer and worked his butt off getting the course ready.  I think he just goes at everything with a lot of intensity.  Intense generosity, intense competitiveness, intense emotional immaturity.

[Bruce Brakel]

Looks like sometime after yesterday's round someone explained the yellow rope thing to Garrett Gurthie.  He improved his round by 14 throws from yesterday.   

More than likely he played both rounds the same -- went for everything -- and today he just got luckier with the skips, hops and rolls. 

[dana]

The perfect shot is an inch from heartbreak.

I watched Garret throw some 600+ foot shots in the distance prelims yesterday.  Then he grabbed a disc and threw it probably 450 left handed.

[CEValkyrie]

The perfect shot is an inch from heartbreak.

I watched Garret throw some 600+ foot shots in the distance prelims yesterday.  Then he grabbed a disc and threw it probably 450 left handed.

I palyed with Double G at Worlds in Michigan. He's a heck of a player and can huck that thing.

[Bruce Brakel]

I watched some of the Todocast today.  It was cool to see disc golf live in color.  Hopefully enough people watch that they can afford to do it better next time.  Wide World of Sports has nothing to fear from this production.

They are asking for donations.  I'm not donating.  I donate to church, cancer research, feeding the poor and quality higher education.  I just can't elevate "disc golf live on the internet" to that level.  But it was fun to see. 

[tacimala]

I liked it too, but I feel like I'm watching a telethon because every 5 minutes they are asking for money. "Oh we just got a note from someone asking about how they could donate"....no you didn't, that's just the only script you have! 

[Chainmeister]

I don't know what they have planned for the later rounds.  I hope they follow the lead group or lead groups around the course and give more play by play.  I think we should see less of the telethon or outdoor studio conversation. I think this could be done with the same budget.  Send the limited cameras that they have walking around the course with the host.

[pickax]

The problem is getting the cable to the truck. On the far side of the pond, they don't have the uplink.

[Bruce Brakel]

I think that's just a matter of having the right kind of camera and the right kind of truck.  Some of the "I'm standing here live" TV news people go all over the courthouse cable free, but sometimes they have to be on the same side of the building as the truck.  Sometimes they have to go out in the hallway and sometimes they can get a link in the courtroom.  I think they have a dish on the truck that collects the signal from the camera.  It probably costs a lot more per camera or truck.  It probably also depends on the quality of the video you're trying to get. 

I really noticed something the other day that I've noticed for years with the TV newspeople.  Almost everyone looks better on TV.  The news babes look like trailer trash in the courtroom but they look great on TV.  Same with Terry Miller and Brian Mace!    

[Chainmeister]

I think that's just a matter of having the right kind of camera and the right kind of truck.  Some of the "I'm standing here live" TV news people go all over the courthouse cable free, but sometimes they have to be on the same side of the building as the truck.  Sometimes they have to go out in the hallway and sometimes they can get a link in the courtroom.  I think they have a dish on the truck that collects the signal from the camera.  It probably costs a lot more per camera or truck.  It probably also depends on the quality of the video you're trying to get. 

I really noticed something the other day that I've noticed for years with the TV newspeople.  Almost everyone looks better on TV.  The news babes look like trailer trash in the courtroom but they look great on TV.  Same with Terry Miller and Brian Mace!    

Well, I have never seen Terry in a courtroom so I am not sure about that. Even if I had seen him in a courtroom I may have ethical reasons to keep that to myself.  I do think Terry looks good on the camera and is very composed before it.  He has been one of the better talking heads on the webcast. That being said, I don't think anybody is about to drill a hole in the door of his hotel room and start shooting video.    You are right that the newsbabes look a lot better on TV.  The TV trucks congregate outside City Hall in Chicago and I often seem them getting ready on the street.  They don't look nearly as good as they do on TV.  What I can't figure out is why do I always look worse whenever I am on video?

[dana]

What would you do on this rules call?

Hole 10- Matt Dollar drives the green off the tee and puts it 20 feet from the pin.  Note: you cannot see the green from the tee.  Spotter incorrectly gives the red flag OB.  Dollar then plays the layup area and then throws his shot across to the green.  He is walking up to the green with his group and they see his original drive 20 ft from the pin and in bounds.

[Bruce Brakel]

It depends on whether he called a provisional or just threw.  It also depends on whether the TD has declared that the spotters are officials on their hole or merely helpful idiots. 

If the spotters are officials, the disc IS out of bounds.  An official has ruled.  Deal with it.  When Dollars sees that the disc appears to be in bounds the group cannot overrule an official but the official could reverse his call or Dollar could appeal to the TD or to the person designated by the TD to hear appeals if there is one.  If Dollar gets the call reversed the rules are not clear on this, but fairness says the second throw is a no throw.

If the spotters are not officials, they have no authority to declare shots in bounds or out of bounds.  They are just helpful idiots trying to save Dollar a little time.  So then it comes down to whether Dollar declared the provisional.  If he declared his second throw a provisional, it does not count.  If he did not declare it, it was a practice throw. 

This has been discussed before on PDGA.com.  There has never been an FAQ on it.  This is just my take as a professional, neutral arbiter of rules.  If you ask Barish, he should say, "Wait, who's my client on this one?"  It would be a fun one to post on PDGA.com if it has not been already.

[Bruce Brakel]

Wait, I misread the question.  What would I do?  As either Dollar's opponent or the TD I would argue for ignoring any interpretation of the rules that would count the throw.  The throw shouldn't count.  The drafters of the rule got as far as thinking about caddies, but they've never grappled with helpful idiot spotters.  If they had, the spotter's call would stand until overruled.  As a TD, in situations that I know the rules drafters did not consider [because I was one of them for the current rules, i know what we considered] I apply the rules as they would be if we had thought about that. 

[damonshort]

The webcast needs to take advantage of existing technology:

http://franken.8k.com/cgi-bin/i/snlpic5.gif

(actually, I need to credit Barish for reminding me about this recently. and btw, I forget how to insert an image directly....)

[Bruce Brakel]

Climo (3rd, 1st, 8th, 6th, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 2nd)
Schultz  (20th, 9th, 1st, 3rd, 6th, 1st, 2nd, 1st)
Nikko  (27th)
Avery  (2nd, 2nd, 4th, 25th, 19th, 63rd, 10th, 35th)
Feldberg (3rd, 3rd, 8th, 1st, 26th, 40th, 36th, 29th)
Doss  (1st, 3rd, 14th, 6th, 30th)
Anthon (8th, 14th, 4th, 16th, 17th, 15th, 18th)
Rico  (7th, 3rd, 7th, 12th, 20th, 6th, 27th, 11th)
Brinster (17th, 7th, 3rd, 12th, 18th, 52nd, 12th, 39th)
Cale  (12th, 10th, 23rd, 25th)
Lundmark (18th, 19th, 9th, 15th, 25th)
Kallstrom (41st, 41st, 15th, 29th)
Orum (6th, 14th, 20th, 12th, 93rd, 91st)
McCray (3rd, 14th, 12th, 32nd, 10th, 34th, 15th, 10th)
Schweb  (10th, 44th, 2nd, 5th, 4th, 15th, 20th, 19th)

Phil Arthur, second place.  I don't think he'll win it, but there he is.

[Steven Jacobs]

For some highlights from CLASH go to

http://clashproductions.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc

I know Billy Crump is annoying but I watch it anyway 

[El Mexicano]

Nikko won USDGC!

[dana]

These USDGC Rocs are SWEET!  Picked up some Champs and 1 Inn Color Star.

How about Anthons round?  WOW.  Feldberg made a big putt to hang on to 2nd on 18.  He then told NIkko that he wouldnt be a real champion if he didnt go for his downhill death putt.

[CEValkyrie]

I watched all day. Between the video of  (1,2,3,5,6, 17, & 18), the dots, the updated individual score cards, and the pdga live scoring this coverage was by far the best.

As it was all playing out I didn't think Anthon had a chance but he just kept shredding it. It would have been sweet if he could have stuck his first shot in for 2 on #17. Although i'm not a fan of Nikko i'm glad he beat Feldberg. I give some props to Nikko. He missed his first putt on #1 and had a nasty roll away and banged the putt. He missed another very makeable putt on #3. I thought he was going to blow up. At that point he was 4 back of Feldberg. I give the kid credit for keeping it together.